Timely Realizations
by Bathory Peverell
Summary: Love is like wine; the longer stored in time the stronger and tastier it gets. But like everything else, it would be uncapped.


Sorry if this is a bit au and if you spot grammatical errors along the way.

VictorxHaine is a guilty pleasure of mine after Victor made an appearance. Their relationship is just fun to explore.

PS: Humans have each of their own likes and dislikes. I'm a kind of person who doesn't criticize other's preference and what not so I hope the same treatment would be bestowed to me as well. It's a free world guys.

When he was summoned by the king's highly trusted servant in an urgent demeanor utterly unusual for the impeccable man Haine didn't waste time changing from his night clothes. As embarrassing as half running through the palace in a duster and a pointed sleep wear, he valued Victor over his dignity and and bid it farewell.

The king's chambers were located in the deepest recesses of the palace. The jaunt took understandably long with zigzagging hallways and many flight of stairs but they got there.

The servant bowed and left with a sudden appearance of cheer that made Haine wonder where it came from. Taking account the lack of guards and servants nearby, Haine opened the door on his own initiative.

"Royal Tutor, have a seat." Victor greeted authoritatively. Still smiling and bright. Dangerously and razor sharp bright. Like a sheen of an unsheathed sword once it meets the rays of the sun.

Why is he addressing me by title in private? Haine wondered.

"Have... I done something to displease you Vic-Your Majesty?"

"I have been made aware of something, and it is in my obligation as a king, father and your friend that I made clear of this. Royal Tutor, all you need is to answer truthfully." He said in his no nonsense tone that Haine had seen him use on ambassadors and nobles he didn't like.

Apparently now it included Haine.

Ignoring the growing unease and sinking feeling he's harboring inside him, Haine dared a question. "And if you find it unsatisfying?"

Emotionless blue eyes captured red ones in abyss. Nothing and that was the only answer Haine needed to know that was exactly where their friendship is headed depending on the result of this...interrogation.

Haine reviewed his actions of today, trying to pinpoint anything treasonous or slight that have angered Victor. There was not...to say at least. He did his usual routine with the Princes and surprisingly made a breakthrough with them, so that was out of the question. Another of Count Rosenberg's schemes again? But it made no sense, Victor already knows about everything on Haine. So why?

Without moving his sapphire eyes for him, he stood up while saying. "Can you tell me how you spent the day with my children, Royal Tutor?" And dragged on chair directly in front of Haine. Victor's long legs brushed against Haine's steady ones.

"Your Majesty, my day started in accordance to my set schedule of tutoring the princes I've passed to you, my first student of the day would be Prince Leonhardt." Haine cleared his throat.

"I graduated Prince Leonhardt from basic addition, subtraction and multiplication and has recently started him on division. As long as properly motivated and unnecessarily coddled. I-."

"Explain what 'properly motivated mean'?" Victor cut in.

Haine was taken aback but hid it behind his apathetic facade. " Taking his studies seriously had never been priority of Prince Leonhardt and only recently that he did. He is a child at heart with deep apprehension for tutors. So if sachetorte, coffee and a handful of sweets is what it takes I'm certain that I can convince him bit by bit to look at educator's profession anew and self- initiate independent studying himself and sharpen his focus."

Victor nodded. "Continue"

According to the clock it was nearing midnight, why did Victor subject him into this stress? "Next would be Prince Bruno, as you've pointed out, Prince Bruno suffers no setback academically, in fact he is far ahead. The matter in question is his mind's 'flexibility' so I've tackled him into the subjects: pyschology, ethnicity and Granzreich's war history."

"Is that wise?" Victor said sharply. "Granzreich's history on warfare, my ancestors reasons were not always honorable let alone victorious, our blood is guilty of thousands of lives."

"Prince Bruno is already mature and likely his understanding of that fact - that his ancestors might not always be honorable or successful is one of the reasons he admires you so, your majesty." Haine parried. "Worry not, he weighted the fights you led and the struggles you went through, Vic- your majesty, to him you are a hero."

Victor flinched. Haine could tell he hit home. One of Victor's fears had been when his sons find out what exactly their father had done to be called "God of War". Victor's hands were drenched in the blood of subjects who died for him just as well as his enemies.

A small hand hesitated but he let his fingers touch its large counterparts in comfort.

Victor quickly withdrew his hands, going for a piece of paper and pen with ink bottle he suddenly needed. Now it was Haine's turn to flinch. Well, if Victor would insist pulling status then Haine would yield. No subject should look into the eyes of the king and the miniature Royal Tutor bowed a little.

"I took lunch right after which I know is irrelevant. I was joined by Princess Adele whom was dropped by the The Queen Mother. We chatted a bit and I apparently received an invitation to join a tea party."

"Moving on, Prince Litch's original problem would be making him serious at all which proved to be just a false facade -or at least most of it - in order to make him 'cool' when he is one of the very serious and dedicated out of all princes - second to Prince Bruno. I discussed to him the respective needs of social classes in our kingdom, and relating them to his customers. By this time he has good grasps on legislature and finance since I've heard the owner of the cafe once in a while sentence him to bookkeeping."

Haine waited for any input coming from Victor. The aforementioned king's blank stare had turned thoughtful and another quality to it that's the chibi tutor finds unfathomable. More than ever Haine wish to know how that that mind of Victor's work. He could tell Victor was having an internal battle, but he could discern it let alone help.

Victor soundly sighed and visibly sagged unto his

"Keep going, Royal Tutor."

"As of late afternoon I had made Prince Kai do spoken poetry, short ones but expressive, guiding him per line at first and letting him perfect it. Needless to say it produced good results. You should hear him, your majesty, Prince Kai is quite giddy of your verdict to it. I..."

Haine discontinued as a hand carefully cupped his face, warm, gentle and strong, guided it to a face full of Victor von Granzreich. His mind blanked as he stared into an emotional pool of blue. The smell of paper that clung unto the king and the quintessentially rosy scent Victor is very fond of further lulled him into compliance he always reserved for Victor.

"Um." When did Victor descend on him?

A mere inch was all there is before their faces touch and they breathed the same air as each other, the king's proximity and intoxicating scent was clouding Haine's already tired mind yet somehow it made his senses more alert.

Young or middle age, it's like Victor stopped aging as soon as he inherited the throne. The beautiful man capable of having men and women eat from the palm of his hand. Haine remembered terribly when the king was a terrible flirt - something Haine suffered from mentally and emotionally.

"Haine" Victor chimed. Long dexterous fingers buried deep in his scalp, hitting stressed spots and making him feel alright.

"H-have I satisfied you know, yo-Victor?" Haine winced at how wrong that came out.

Still he burrowed deeper against calloused hands. One which Haine knows had gone through a lot.

"That tests was not for you but for me, to know whether I could be dissuaded by a notion."

Haine maintained his eyes close in relief. But back to the matter. "Where did this sudden distrust came from Victor?"

His answer were not words, his friend graced him with something he didn't fathom receiving, most importantly from a man his status.

Warm lips gently covered his dry ones. Haine's eye lids shot back up in surprise and mouth agape, something the god of war took advantage, having his tongue enter and conquer. Whatever drowsiness brought on by time quickly evaporated in a hot moment of mouth to mouth between two friends who weren't friends after all.

When the kiss ended Haine found himself in the king's lap breathing heavily.

"Count Rosenberg asked for your immediate expulsion from the castle."

Haine breath hitched.

"I told him no in a very unnecessarily kingly manner. I might have given him a hint towards our relationship."

Victor kissed the side of his lips and stayed there. "Because, I imagined you leaving my side again and found I could not afford it anymore...when we were young I thought that our friendship was all we need, that everything was fine even as I became king and you left. I was truly delighted when you agreed to come to the castle to tutor my children, but I guess letters and wine were not enough anymore..."

"I feel the same ... but is this alright?"Haine questioned uncertainty.

"I asked myself every night if it's okay to love you and every day I see you with Kai, Bruno, Leonhardt, Litch and even Adele, what I found myself asking is 'why did I not brought you here sooner?' Imagine that?" Victor whispered into his ear amusedly.

The king chuckled as the smaller man melted into his arms.


End file.
